


An Overdue Talk

by Lisa_Telramor



Category: Howl Series - Diana Wynne Jones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 19:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18857986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisa_Telramor/pseuds/Lisa_Telramor
Summary: After everything, Sophie and Jane catch up and Sophie gives an explanation





	An Overdue Talk

**Author's Note:**

> written in January for the 3 sentence fic on Dreamwidth to the prompt:
> 
> Howl's moving castle: Howl's Moving Castle, Sophie Hatter & Jane Farrier, a long overdue explanation
> 
>  
> 
> (For those who don't remember, Jane's the one who bought the mushroom pleat bonnet and ran off with the count of Catterack

"Oh! Miss Hatter!" Across the way was Jane Farrier. Sophie paused in her shopping, not quite sure what to do with being recognized here in Kingsbury of all places--she hadn't run into Jane since she ran off. "Miss Hatter," Jane said with a smile, "it's a surprise to see you here, unless your luck has changed too?"  
  
She looked happier than Sophie remembered her, the drab colors she'd worn before gone in exchange for bright color that suited her much better, complimenting her riot of curls in a way the mushroom pleated bonnet hadn't. Sophie smiled, stiffly. She'd never been close to Jane Farrier, barely knew her beyond town gossip. "I suppose my luck has changed," she said.  
  
"I don't suppose you've opened a hat shop in Kingsbury?" Jane asked, looking around like one might materialize. "This might sound silly, but I've yet to find a hat shop I whose wares I find as agreeable as back home."  
  
"No, actually." Sophie paused. "I'm no longer in the hat making business. The shop was sold. It's a flower shop now."  
  
Jane drooped. "Oh. Well." She shook herself. "I meant to thank you. Maybe it is superstitious, but my life changed for the better after I bought your hat. I thought I'd spend my whole life in that little town and now here I am. Like magic." Jane laughed lightly.  
  
Sophie felt a prickle of guilt. She hadn't meant to enchant Jane's bonnet. Granted she did a lot of enchantments she didn't mean to do. "About that. Actually, it seems I sold you a magic bonnet."  
  
"Oh?" Jane leaned forward. "What did it do?"  
  
The guilt became less of a prickle and more of a line of sweat. It wasn't as if she could blurt out that she'd felt sorry for a bonnet. Pity was something no one liked. Sophie cleared her throat. "It, er, it let someone special see the best in the wearer," she offered weakly. "I should have realized it was magic."  
  
At that, Jane's smile went fond, the private sort of smile Sophie saw on lovers. "Well it worked and as I said, my life changed for the better. I'm engaged to be married you see."  
  
Sophie wondered if it was the same poor Count she'd run off with in the first place. He hadn't seemed to be the reliable sort. If anything, Sophie had felt responsible for a horrible misunderstanding and a poor match. And yet seeing Jane's smile... Perhaps it wasn't a poor match after all. "You seem happier," she said.  
  
"I am. My fiancé is a bit of a mess," Jane said with a laugh, "but he's a good man and means the world to me."  
  
"That's good," Sophie said, wondering if she ever had the same look on her face when she thought of Howl. She hoped not. He would be insufferable about it if she did; he wasn't a modest man.  
  
"You seem like you're happier too," Jane said.  
  
"I suppose I am," Sophie said. "Making hats didn't suit me after all."  
  
Jane laughed. "Well, if you ever decide to go back into the business, I wouldn't say no to another of your hats. You have a magic touch with the needle."  
  
Oh if Jane only knew.  
  
A man's voice called out, the Count of Catterack, as short as ever. Jane lit up at the sight of him. He tripped trying to cross the street and she made a worried sound. "Oh dear. See what I mean? I'd best go help him before he gets hit with a cart. But thank you again, Miss Hatter," Jane said, giving Sophie one last smile. She waved and hurried toward her fiancé.  
  
Sophie stared after her, unsure what to feel about the encounter.   
  
"Sophie!" Howl called from where he was supposed to be negotiating for spell ingredients. Sophie saw more items at his side than he was supposed to be getting. "Have you finished your shopping yet?"  
  
"Almost done," she called back. "You'd better not be buying anything off budget."  
  
"It's only a little thing!"  
  
"Put it back, Howl." Well, Sophie couldn't fault Jane for falling for a man with flaws. She'd done the same after all.


End file.
